Overview

"If this is one of the "possibilities", then I'll perform my duty to the fullest"

Backstory

The main heroine of the XBlaze series. Es, short for Embyro Storage, was created by Soichiro Unomaru to be a vessel for the Embryo. She was once a member of the Mitsurugi Agency's Sleipnir unit, tasked with hunting down Unions and capturing them for rehabiliation. At the end of the events of XBlaze, Es leaves her world and timeline and later returns in the main BlazBlue series during the events of BlazBlue Central Fiction. Having lost all memories of her previous life, Es now only exists to protect the gates to the Azure.

Playstyle

Es is a character that specializes in controlling the flow of the match in neutral. She has moderately fast movement and her big broadsword gives her normals with a lot of reach, allowing her to rushdown very well. Her Breunor projectile is a powerful ranged option for controlling space that when used properly it'll force your opponent to approach more cautiously and in certain ways that you can exploit.

Strengths/Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Solid range on her normals.

Hard hitting combos that last a lengthy amount of time, especially with an assist. This means that Es can carry you to either corner relatively easily.

Es can adapt to nearly any playstyle and heavily punish an opponent's weak defense in battle thanks to her range, two overheads, crest mechanic, and her projectiles.

The lingering crests in Es's normals are incredibly useful for extending combos, blockstrings, and creating tricky cross-up situations thanks to her j.C.

Has one of the best projectiles in the game thanks to their speedy startup, quick recovery, multiple angles that they can be shot from in the air & ground, and Es's ability to shoot two projectiles in a single quarter-circle input.

Because of all this, Es possesses the tools to initiate an unrelenting offense, in conjunction with a keep-away game that is very bothersome to deal with.

Great reversal action which has a huge pillar-like hitbox.

Solid 2B.

Her j.C is one of the best and most useful aerial moves in the game.

Although she can deal solid damage she has Below-average start-up on certain moves, specifically in her 5B and 214A.

Due to her reliance on crest mechanics and assists to help her approaches at close range, Es has openings in her strings where she can be susceptible to reversal action and/or other counters.

A lot of her attack have high recover frame on whiff and block, such as her 2B, 214C, 214A so try your best to not whiff her attack too much

Drive: Crest Arts

In the BlazBlue series, Es drive buttons left a crest on the screen after she would perform the normal. After a certain amount of time that varied by the drive normal, the crest will activate and hit anything in the space it covers. This mechanic has returned in BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle but the timing on when the crests will activate has changed. Crests will now activate soon after they are placed, much like her original 5D crest.

5B

Big, but slow startup. Puts a crest on the field that detonates near immediately.

This can be a good tool to frame trap during pressure. It's also useful because the crest lingers for a little bit, so if they pushblock this move, they can't run in immediately or they get hit by the exploding crest.

As a starter on a standing opponent, can connect a 214A afterwards to do a full combo

5BB

1700, 1000

All

27

-

-

-12

Jump cancellable on hit

Since this is jump cancellable on hit, you can do 5BB jB jC as a combo ender which, in the corner, covers all tech options and gives good oki

2C

Commonly used near the end of blockstrings and combos. Very useful in solo combos since 2C>236C in the corner allows for a 5A followup and also makes the opponent airborne, opening up much better combo routes for Es in the corner

j.A

All of Es's buttons in the air are good. This is the fastest, which makes it useful for challenging people in the air. It hits overheads and still has a good hitbox, so it can be used for jump-ins as well.

j.AA

1000

High

-

-

-

-

Can be done even if jA whiffs

This hit is angled a bit more downwards, making it a bit better for jump-ins. Is useful for confirming stray jA hits.

j.C

Probably her best jump normal. Very big, crest allows for this to still get hits even if the first hit whiffs, hits overhead and puts the opponent in an airborne state if it does hit, and can be comboed off of with 5A.

Type:Slasher "Griflet"

Good vertical range and decent horizontal range. Hitbox does come up slower than some other DPs, which means this move might get blocked if you try to use it as an antiair.

You can press another button on hit to activate the followup, but the followup isn't available on block or whiff.

Crest Followup

1500

All

-

-

-

-

Important points go here

The followup can sometimes whiff even if the first part of the move hits. The followup has a very long recovery window as well, which can lead to you being punished if the first part hits but the followup whiffs, so be careful about doing the followup.

Generally you want to use this though because it leads to better advantage for you.

Skills

Type:Shooter "Breunor"

A version projectile moves almost immediately after the projectile comes out, but doesn't travel fullscreen

B version projectile lingers at Es for a little bit, then moves forward

Very good fireballs. Pretty big and fast and can be really annoying for characters to get around.

Powered Up Shot

2300

All

20

-

-

-

This is done by doing the B version followed by the A version quickly

The two fireballs become one really big one. It's larger than both the A and B versions, and while the A and B version will clash once with most regular projectiles, this one will pass through most projectiles or clash with EX projectiles.

Very strong and annoying tool for people to deal with. If you setup first, you can use this to invalidate zoners trying to do their thing fullscreen/midscreen.

Air A

1500

All

-

-

-

-

Air B

1500

All

-

-

-

-

Additional Air Breunor A/B

1500

All

-

-

-

-

A version is sent diagonally down

B version is sent horizontally forward

Also a very annoying tool for people to deal with. The projectiles are still good and by mixing up the two, you can catch people either running in with the A version or people jumping at you with the B version.

This move can be TKed, but even TKed, this move will send Es pretty high up in the air. If you want to do the B versions close to the ground, you'll have to jump and then when coming down, input the special. No TK j236B sadly :(

Type:Slasher "Gawain"

While it is an overhead, it is pretty reactable and it's uncharged version doesn't give much reward on hit. The uncharged version is not seen very often, even in combos.

The charged version does have some uses, since it causes a splat on air hit and allows for 5A to combo afterwards. The most common way of comboing this tool is 5B>214[B] on an airborne opponent. The charged version is also slightly plus, which makes it good for reseting pressure. Note, though, that it can be mashed out of.

Type:Slasher "Mordred"

Es moves forward and does one slash. This can be useful if you've exhausted all your normal cancels on block so you can do this with an assist to continue pressure. Otherwise, isn't that useful for pressure.

Most combos that use an assist will have the assist be called during 214C~X, allowing for a pickup afterwards.

Followup214C>A/B/C

2000

All

9

-

-

-22

Does a followup hit after the first hit of 214C

Launches the opponent on hit

Cannot continue a combo after hitting with this solo, unless you hit them very high in the air. You can get a safe jump off it (assuming they don't tech away).

On block, is extremely minus and is not recommended in blockstrings without an assist, and even with an assist, 214C is probably just better.

Extra Skills

EX Type:Shooter "Breunor"

This is a very useful tool in certain matchups since it makes a powered up shot much quicker than normally. This can be useful to catch people's jumps, or to go through a zoner's projectile. It also leads to a knockdown that can be followed up off of in the corner.

Air

1500*2

All

-

-

-

-

Throws a B version of the air fireball, then the A version of the air fireball, much quicker than normal

Not quite as useful as the grounded version, but still has its uses. Can be good if you're unsure how an opponent will approach and want to be extra safe.

5P

This partner skill has Es fire the staggered version of her Breunor projectile. She does the A then B version, however unlike when used on point they do not combine. The two projectiles can severely limit your opponent's options on the ground and are perfect opportunity to approach and close the gap between you and your opponent. This can be very helpful to improve your partner's neutral, especially in some matchups and for some partner characters lacking neutral tools. However, it does have a bit of startup on it though so be wary about using this too close to your opponent. Try to aim to use this further out to avoid both Es and you getting pinned down by rushdown.

It can also be good for pressure. The 2 Breunor projectiles provide a good amount of blockstun for you to reset pressure or potentially go for a mixup depending on your character and the situation.

Type:Shooter "Palamedes"

Ignore the picture, there are not two version of this super in BBTAG. It will always be the "A" version.

Big projectile super that hits fullscreen

Is full invul on startup

This can be really useful in fullscreen situations where you read an airdash in or someone throwing a fireball. Can also be used to punish other certain fullscreen supers. Can be punished on block if done right next to someone, but can only be punished fullscreen by something like another fullscreen super.

Type:Slasher "Galahad"

Doesn't quite travel fullscreen, but does still move forward very far. Is not as minus as it seems, so people might drop their punishes on this move.

This move is also Es's DHC and is also very useful as one. It has very little recovery on block, which means you can do something like Gordeau's 214BC, DHC into Es, and Es will recover while Gordeau is still doing the super, allowing you to run mixups while Gordeau is doing his super.